I'm starting to think that if the government really wants to
stimulate the economy, they should start promoting thru-hiking. The
amount of money I've spent on gear in the past few years could probably
feed a small family for six months! My latest purchase is a Western
Mountaineering Ultralite sleeping bag. From what I've heard, it's the
Cadillac of down bags: 850-fill down, water-resistant fabric, and a
conservative temperature rating of 20 degrees F, all for 1lb 13 oz. If
it gets me through my triple crown (which could take ten years...) then
it's worth the $ 400 price tag.
Then there was my new Outdoor
Research Helium rain jacket - a mere 6 oz, on sale for $ 60. Of course I
had to follow that with a new pair of North Face Paramount Valley
convertible pants, to replace the two pair of mine that have developed
new ventilation systems in awkward places. So far that's all the damage
I've done...but there are still three months to go.
Of lesser
importance than my gear purchases is a recent article in the local
Helena newspaper. A young couple is planning to hike 2,000 miles from
central California to Canada, shedding an apartment and two jobs before
they go. What could possibly possess these crazy kids to exile
themselves to the wilderness and a diet of rehydrated curry? I think you
know the answer. Check out this link to see the whole article. http://helenair.com/helena-couple-planning-to-embark-on--mile-hike/article_75796fe6-73eb-11e1-984d-001871e3ce6c.html
It made for a very embarrassing day for me, fielding, "Hey you!"
comments around town when people recognized me from the picture. Ahh,
the hardships of fame...
Andrew (Shaggy) is already on the trail,
hiking the Hayduke from Arches to Zion. As intensely jealous as I am, I
know the semi-waterless route would be a little above my skill level -
not to mention my thirst- and rattlesnake-tolerances. But he's loving
it, and I'm stuck here working with screaming kids and buying gear to
assuage my frustrations. You can read his trail journals on this site,
under Shaggy, in the Heyduke section. Or go to www.shaggyhikes.blogspot.com, and remember to sign his guestbooks!
No comments:
Post a Comment